Oklahoma Songfic
by Numb3rsfan
Summary: A young boy finally comes home. This is an AU songfic!


**Oklahoma**

by

**Numb3rsfan**

Fandom: **Numb3rs**

Author: **Numb3rsfan**

Title: **Oklahoma**

Type: **SongFic**

Rating: **PG**

Warnings: **AU to fit song. Charlie is the adopted son of Alan Eppes in this fic. Also song lyrics are in Italics. **

Author's Notes: **Song is 'Oklahoma' from Billy Gilman.**

Disclaimer: **I don't own Numb3rs and I don't own this song.**

Summary: **A young boy finally comes home.**

NUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RSNUMB3RS

_Suitcase packed with all his things_

_Car pulls up, the doorbell rings,_

_He didn't want to go_

_He thought he found his home_

_But with circumstances he can't change_

_Waves goodbye as they pull away_

_From the life he's known_

_For the last seven months or so_

A brown haired child sniffled a little as he closed his old beaten up suitcase that was filled with what little he owned.

Since he was an orphan, the 'System' had placed him with a family known as the Littrell family who had treated him as one of their own.

This boy's name was Charlie and it was very clear that he didn't want to leave this family.

He remembered 'Aunt Clare' sitting him down; telling him that his social worker had informed them that she would be picking up Charlie soon...to take him home.

The slamming of a car door broke Charlie out of his reverie.

Going to the window he looked down to see his social worker go to the door and ring the door bell.

A second later Charlie heard Aunt Clare call his name with a hint of sadness in her voice; the sadness that came with losing a loved one.

Grabbing his suitcase Charlie headed downstairs, seeing Aunt Clare, Uncle Daniel and their kids Russell and Brian by their sides, each having tears of sadness in their eyes.

Reaching out to him Claire took Charlie in her arms; giving him a warm hug before kissing the top of his head.

"We'll miss you...take care of yourself son and remember that we will always love you. We always thought of you as one of our own." She whispered to him.

Nodding his head Charlie offered a small smile of thanks before he hugged each of them.

He wished this was all a dream, that he wouldn't have to leave, but sadly this was a dream he wouldn't wake up from.

The walk to the car was made in a daze. Slipping in to the backseat, Charlie barely noticed his social worker slip in to the backseat on the other side.

Clipping on his seatbelt Charlie glanced out the window, raised his hand and waved goodbye as the car pulled away from the house...from the family he had come to know and love.

Charlie felt the tears running down his face; not bothering to wipe them away.

He glanced at his social worker who looked at him with love and understanding in her eyes.

_She said "we found a man who looks like you_

_Who cried and said he never knew_

_About the boy in pictures that we showed him._

_A rambler in his younger days,_

_He knew he made a few mistakes_

_But he swore he would have been there _

_Had he known it._

_Son we think we found your dad in Oklahoma."_

Kari Marsden smiled understandingly as she looked at young Charlie who had tears pouring down his face.

She knew that leaving a family like the Littrell's was never easy for them or for their charge, but she hoped that Charlie would be able to move on, especially given the news that she had for the boy.

"Charlie I know leaving them was a very hard a painful experience. I wish I didn't have to take you away from them but I have some good news. We have found a gentleman who looks just like you in more ways than one. We've done some checking and have just recently learned that this gentleman is your father...your real father. He was a rambler in his younger days, and he knows that he made quite a few mistakes. He swore to us that he would have been there for you had he known of you." Kari said.

Looking down at his lap, Charlie closed his eyes, still not wiping the tears away as he listened to his social worker.

"Son, we think we found your dad in Oklahoma." Kari continued.

_A million thoughts raced through his mind_

_What's his name, what's he like?_

_And will he be anything like the man in his dreams?_

_She could see the questions in his eyes_

_Whispered "Don't be scared my child I will let you know, what we know._

"_About the man we found, he looks like you_

_Who cried and said he never knew_

_About the boy in pictures that we showed him._

_A rambler in his younger days,_

_He knew he made a few mistakes, But he swore he would have been there had he known it._

_You always said that this was something that you wanted._

_Son it's time to meet your Dad in Oklahoma."_

As he listened to Kari speak hope began to rise in his chest.

Opening his eyes Charlie wiped the tears from his face as he once again looked at her.

"What's his name...what's he like?" Charlie asked, seeing Kari digging in a bag.

Slowly she pulled out a file folder, resting it on her lap.

"Well I'll tell you about him..." Kari began, opening up the folder in her lap.

Slowly she passed the folder to young Charlie before she began to relay what she knew about Alan Eppes, his wife Margaret Eppes and their eldest son Don Eppes.

The more Charlie read and heard about them the more he liked them, and from the pictures he saw he could see a resemblance between him and the Eppes'.

Slowly the car pulled to a stop at the airport, waited until Kari and Charlie got out before pulling away.

Charlie, suitcase in hand again followed Kari inside, going through the motions before he boarded a plane bound for Oklahoma.

Kari stayed with him through the entire plane ride, explaining more about the Eppes so as to calm Charlie down.

When the plane landed, Kari and Charlie entered another car which took them away from the airport and on to the highway.

_One last turn _

_He held his breath_

_'Til they reached the fifth house on the left_

_And all at once the tears came rollin' in._

_And as they pulled in to the drive_

_A man was waiting there outside_

_Wiped the worry from his eyes, smiled and shook his hand._

_And he said, "I'm the man who looks like you _

_Who cried because I never knew_

_About the boy in pictures that they showed me._

_A rambler in my younger days_

_I knew I made a few mistakes_

_But I swear I would have been there had I known it._

_Never again will you ever be alone!_

Twenty minutes the car left the highway, pulling in to an urban neighborhood with big two story houses, finely cut grass lawns and basketball goals in every other driveway.

Turning on to a street named Roselawn, Charlie counted the houses until the car pulled in to the driveway of the fifth house on the left hand side.

The house was a big, two story house with all the old style Victorian trimmings that made it look older than it really was.

The garage door of the house in question was up and a man was standing just inside, leaning over a car that had it's hood up.

Seeing their car the man stood up, wiping the grease from his hand; nervousness written all over his face.

Eying the man through the windows of the car, Charlie's emotions came out all at once in the form of big, fat tears that slowly trekked down his face to pool on the leather seat.

Gripping the door handle Charlie pulled, feeling the door open in his hand.

Stepping out of the car father and son looked at each other with sadness and joy on their faces.

Alan glad to have his son, the boy he had only heard about a month ago, home with him now.

Charlie glad that his journey was over now and he was home...really home with his real family...a family that loves him.

Slowly Alan approached Charlie, stopping only feet from the child.

"Dad...?" Charlie whispered, not daring to believe that this was all true.

Seeing the smile on Alan's face pushed all doubt from his mind so the young child reached out and took Alan's hand.

Alan for his part shook Charlie's hand before drawing him in to a loving embrace that lasted for several minutes.

When they drew away a huge smile was on Charlie's face.

"You are never going to be alone again Charlie..." Alan said, his hand going to Charlie's cheek.

"That's right..."

Alan and Charlie looked to the porch to see Margaret coming outside, a smile on her face and tears on her cheeks.

"Momma..." Charlie whispered as Margaret embraced the boy, hugging him tightly as she allowed her tears to fall on to Charlie's hair.

For his part Charlie clung to Margaret in a death grip, as if she would blow away or disappear if he let her go.

"We're sorry for everything you've been through Charlie...you will never be alone again honey...you are part of our family now." Alan said.

"Yes," Margaret agreed, "We love you so much Charlie...we are glad that you are finally home...where you belong."

"Here...welcome to the family...brother."

Letting go of Margaret, Charlie turned to see an older boy standing behind him, holding out a baseball glove complete with a baseball.

The baseball glove was worn, obviously a hand me down but Charlie didn't care.

Smiling Charlie put his suitcase down and took the offered glove before following Don around back so they could play catch.

Watching him go, Kari smiled before she looked at Alan and Margaret.

"Another happy ending. I'm glad he's found you and you have found him. I have a feeling that you all will need each other." Kari said.

"I want to thank you...for bringing my son home...you have helped to complete our family." Alan said, going over and shaking Kari's hand.

Kari smiled and shook her head at Alan's words.

"It's my job...Charlie is a very special boy and I know he's in the best of hands now...good luck." Kari replied.

She got in to the car which sped away heading back towards the airport, leaving Alan and Margaret standing in the driveway, reveling in the fact that their sons were home; their family was complete...which is how it should be.

After two minutes Alan and Margaret turned towards the house, taking Charlie's suitcase with them.

While Margret entered the cool interior of the house, Alan hung back a second as he listened to the laughing sounds of Don and Charlie as they played catch in the backyard.

"Charlie...welcome to your home...with your family in Oklahoma." Alan whispered before he entered the house and shut the front door, locking it behind him.

_Son welcome to your home...in Oklahoma_

**THE END**


End file.
